City ready to move forward on sixth fire station

By Molly McGowan / Times-News

Published: Monday, April 8, 2013 at 04:59 PM.

He said the department is looking at a 2.25-acre property on Bonnar Bridge Parkway, near Highland Elementary. Smith said that location would allow for quick access to Huffman Mill Road – and thus to Alamance Regional Medical Center – as well as University Drive and the interstate.

Interim City Attorney Charles Bateman said the department has reached an agreement with the landowner, PNC Bank, and would pay $185,000 for the property. City Manager Harold Owen said the money for the property was already in the city’s reserves.

“I think it’s a great deal,” Bateman said, adding the city is lucky that property is available.

“Now is the time to get the site,” he said. “If we don’t get the site now … as the economy improves, that land will not be available.”

The council gave its approval for Bateman and Smith to go forward with the purchase, and Bateman said if “all goes optimally,” they’d be able to close on the property within four months. At some point in the future, the land would have to be rezoned for the use of a fire station.

The Burlington Fire Department received approval from the city council on Monday to begin the process of purchasing land along Bonnar Bridge Parkway for a sixth fire station – something that’s been in the works since 2011.

In June 2011, a fire services study showed the fire department’s response times would be greatly improved by establishing a sixth fire station in the western/southwestern part of the city. Since then, Fire Chief Jay Smith has met with the city council multiple times to determine the feasibility of building another two-company station.

On Monday, he had a plot of land in mind.

“We’re trying to serve an area in the southwest portion of the city,” said Smith, adding Station 4, at 2748 S. Church Street, is currently the western-most station.

“We were looking at something centrally located,” in the southwest area, he said.

Smith said it was challenging to find available land in that particular section of Burlington, especially since Interstate 40/85 is running through it, and the fire station would need to be somewhere with multiple access points to the interstate, and to other main city streets.

He said the department is looking at a 2.25-acre property on Bonnar Bridge Parkway, near Highland Elementary. Smith said that location would allow for quick access to Huffman Mill Road – and thus to Alamance Regional Medical Center – as well as University Drive and the interstate.

Interim City Attorney Charles Bateman said the department has reached an agreement with the landowner, PNC Bank, and would pay $185,000 for the property. City Manager Harold Owen said the money for the property was already in the city’s reserves.

“I think it’s a great deal,” Bateman said, adding the city is lucky that property is available.

“Now is the time to get the site,” he said. “If we don’t get the site now … as the economy improves, that land will not be available.”

The council gave its approval for Bateman and Smith to go forward with the purchase, and Bateman said if “all goes optimally,” they’d be able to close on the property within four months. At some point in the future, the land would have to be rezoned for the use of a fire station.